GOP ends session with a victory

Bumpy end to General Assembly session

Posted: Saturday, April 02, 2005

By Kristen WyattAssociated Press

ATLANTA - Republicans concluded their first modern session in control of the full legislature on a high note late Thursday, getting a last-minute win on one of their top priorities, but it was a bumpy finish that showed lawmaking isn't easy no matter who's in charge.

Republican leaders planned a smooth, methodical last day in contrast to the late-night frenzies that typically marked the final lawmaking hours under Democratic control.

And for a while their plans held true, with both chambers plodding through the few matters still left unsettled.

The bulk of bills important to the GOP passed long ago - such as abortion waiting periods and shielding doctors from malpractice lawsuits. Republicans also redrew congressional districts, which were drawn under Democratic control.

The main question left for the final hours Thursday night was whether lawmakers would agree to new ethics rules for elected officials. The idea has long been pushed by Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue, and Republican lawmakers said all session that they would toughen ethics laws. But they struggled to agree how.

After weeks of wrangling, and negotiations that broke down at several points, a compromise was struck just moments before the midnight deadline for Republicans to finish up as they intended, a day earlier than legally required.

Although the final version was significantly different than the one first proposed by Perdue, he thanked lawmakers for getting done what "I promised the people of Georgia we would do."

Even top-ranking Republicans seemed relieved they finished the ethics bill, which included higher fines for ethics violators and a new legislative committee to look into complaints against officials.

State Rep. Barry Fleming, R-Harlem, was charged with ushering though many of the term's most controversial measures and said after wrap-up, "If you told people that we were going to get done all the things we got done this year, most people wouldn't have believed you."

Other bills hashed out in the final hours included a bill to require voters to show picture IDs at the polls. Lawmakers also agreed that 16-year-olds should have to take a driver's education class to get a license, or else wait until they're 17 to be allowed to drive. A statewide smoking ban and new guidelines for child support payments also were sent to the governor's desk Thursday.

Among the notable bills that didn't make it: a Republican idea to extend waiting periods for couples seeking divorce and a Democratic bill to revive a hate crimes law tossed by the state Supreme Court last fall. Because this was the first of a two-year term, those proposals could still be passed next year.

Fewer bills were passed than on some previous final legislative days. Republicans crowed it was because they got the heavy lifting done earlier this year.

"Georgians ought to be happy," said House Speaker Glenn Richardson, R-Hiram.